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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443234">The Outsider</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyExWifeStillMissesMe1/pseuds/MyExWifeStillMissesMe1'>MyExWifeStillMissesMe1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After The End [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gravity Falls</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aliens, Angst, Cowboys &amp; Cowgirls, Cryofreeze Chambers, Dinosaurs, Dipper Has PTSD, Dipper Pines-centric, Dipper and Ford have spy glasses, Dipper and Mabel are Really Fucked Up, Dipper has a cybernetic arm, Gen, Life Model Decoys, Minor Character Death, Minor Jesus "Soos" Alzamirano Ramirez/Melody, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Weirdmageddon, Swearing, The multiverse, Time Travel, Various Historical Events, not that much tho, phantom pains, sequel story</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:27:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26443234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyExWifeStillMissesMe1/pseuds/MyExWifeStillMissesMe1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(A Sequel to Back 'Home'). When Dipper and Mabel return to Gravity Falls after their Christmas adventure, they must both learn to live with the harm they caused whilst Gravity Falls gains a few new additions. One of which is the mysterious alien lord Nexus. Now, the Pines family must travel through time to stop him from ending the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dipper Pines &amp; Ford Pines &amp; Mabel Pines &amp; Stan Pines, Jesus "Soos" Alzamirano Ramirez &amp; Wendy Corduroy &amp; Dipper Pines, Jesus "Soos" Alzamirano Ramirez/Melody, Mabel Pines/Original Male Character(s), Stan Pines &amp; Ford Pines &amp; Sherman Pines</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>After The End [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Now Is Not The End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story was originally posted on Fanfiction.net. Not all chapters will be story-focused, a lot of them will just be time travel shenanigans with the story looking in the background. OCs are just villains and supporting cast, there to move the plot forward and (hopefully) provide more depth to existing ones.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dipper and Mabel race to seal another rift.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dipper opened his eyes slowly. Where am I? He wondered. He was on a bed. Getting up, he walked out of the creaky wooden door. He was on a boat. A pirate ship, to be exact. It was swaying in the wind like a piece of wood drifting across an open sea.</p><p>“Ehh, Captain?”</p><p>Dipper turned to look. Mabel was standing there, looking sufficiently pirat-ey. “Mabel? What are you doing in my dream?”</p><p>“Dreamy-things, I guess.”</p><p>“Like what?”</p><p>“LIKE THIS.” Suddenly, Mabel and all the other crew members morphed into the abominations that were inside the bubble.</p><p>“YOU THINK YOU ESCAPED MY TRAP PINETREE?” Dipper didn’t even have to turn around to know who that was. “‘COS IF ‘YA DID, YOU’RE EVEN DUMBER THAN I THOUGHT YOU WERE! AND THAT’S SETTING A PRETTY HIGH BAR, I’VE ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE AS THICK AS A BRICK. I MEAN, YOU TRUSTED ME? AND YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA? OH, OH THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD!”</p><p>“You’re not real…” Dipper muttered, trembling.</p><p>“NO, BUT HE IS!” Bill pointed at the ladder at the side of the ship and Dipper turned to look. Suddenly, a hand appeared and grasped the ledge. It was a horrifying creature. Its eyes were yellow and slitted, its right arm was held on only by stitches and there was a gaping hole through its chest. It held a charred book, with Dipper recognised to be journal three.</p><p>“The hell?” He muttered.</p><p>“HE’S YOUR FEARS MANIFESTED, NUMBSKULL! JEEZ.”</p><p>The creature walked towards Dipper. As it did, a head appeared in its hand.</p><p>“You killed me.” Aida’s disembodied head moaned as blood spilled out of it’s mouth. “I was only trying to help. Did you kill my henchman too?”</p><p>Fearper. That’s what Mabel would call him. Dipper thought. Fearper dropped the head, produced a knife and lunged at his real-life counterpart, slitting his throat.</p><p>Dipper shot awake, panting and sweating. He was on a bus. Oh right. He was going back to Gravity Falls.</p><p>“… Dipper?”</p><p>“Mabel? You’re okay!” Dipper hugged her.</p><p>“Why wouldn’t I be?”</p><p>“B-because y-y-you d-died.”</p><p>“He’s dead, remember? We’re gonna be fine. This summer’s gonna be great! Remember, Lance is gonna meet us there. I can’t believe his mum let him come.”</p><p>“Yeah, I think the whole ‘seeing the truth about the world thing helped a lot. She’s a total conspiracy nut.”</p><p>“We’re here! Come on Waddles! Wwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaddddddddlllllleeeeeeeessssssss!” Mabel shouted as she ran off the bus. “Hi – Grunkle Stan? Grunkle Ford? Anyone?” There was no one there.</p><p>“Something’s wrong.” Dipper mumbled. “They’d never miss us arriving otherwise.” He pulled out his phone. “Grunkle Ford? Where are you?”</p><p>“Dipper,” Came Ford’s voice. It was shaky. “Come to the town centre. You need to see this.”</p><p>Lance looked around the Gravity Falls high street with a confused look on his face. He couldn’t find anyone. It seemed like a nice town, but he was wondering when he was going to see some weird stuff. He’d been to an actual haunted house with Dipper back in Piedmont, but that was the extent of his supernatural experience. To be honest, finding out about that stuff wasn’t really that surprising for him. The hardest part was trying to avoid triggering Dipper’s PTSD. It was really hard for the first few weeks, but then he got the hang of it. No triangles, no yellow, no bow ties or top hats and no handshakes. Of course, there was no way he could know everything. One time he said ‘well, well, well’ and nearly sent Dipper into cardiac arrest.</p><p>“Lance!”</p><p>He whipped around to see Dipper and Mabel running past his clutching a lot of luggage.</p><p>“Come on!” Dipper shouted. “Something’s wrong.” As they rounded the corner, they saw Ford and Stan shouting at a tall man with coal black hair wearing a long black coat. They were standing in front of a large crater and were wearing their ‘action gear.’</p><p>“I can assure you,” The man said. “We have everything under control.”</p><p>“We’re experts. You’re an ambassador.” Ford remarked.</p><p>“… ehhhhh, Great Uncle Ford?” Dipper tried.</p><p>“Dipper! Mabel! I’m so sorry we couldn’t meet you at the stop, something terrible has happened!”</p><p>“What?” Both twins asked at the same time.</p><p>“That.” Ford pointed at the crater. In it was a glowing blue crack.</p><p>“It’s another rift…” Dipper mumbled, almost incoherently.</p><p>“So who’s that?” Lance asked.</p><p>“Oh, you must be Dipper’s friend. I’m Ford. That is the town’s new supernatural ambassador. His name is Nexus. Stanley doesn’t trust him.”</p><p>“Neither do I.” Dipper agreed. “He even looks like a bad guy.”</p><p>Stan walked over to them. “Hello ‘ya little gremlins. This jackass over here thinks he knows better than we do. Mayor’s been actin’ strange too.”</p><p>“He wasn’t here for Weirdmageddon. And I’m worried that the rift could bring Bill to our dimension.”</p><p>Dipper’s expression darkened. “We need to get to the UFO. We seal it.”</p><p>“I’ve already tried that. The adhesive would have worked on our rift because it was small.”</p><p>“‘Lemme guess poindexter, it’s ‘cos this one’s big.”</p><p>“Yeah. We’ll need to create a device to hold the adhesive. But we need something else to seal it. You see, this was created by Weirdmageddon, it was a side effect. It was started by Bill and the Quantum Destabiliser could kill him. It was powered by a unique element called NowUSeeitNowUDontium. I believe it could be our missing component. I found it in the better world.”</p><p>“So we need to use Edmund’s portal to get it.” Dipper finished.</p><p>“Yes. Great minds think alike and all that. Now we-” Suddenly, the rift bulged and opened. A scream could be heard as a boy tumbled out of it. He was wearing a raggedy old leather jacket and a torn red scarf.</p><p>“Ow.” He muttered. “My face.”</p><p>“Hey.” Mabel picked up a stick and poked him with it. “You alive?”</p><p>“Sadly.” The boy said as Mabel helped him up.</p><p>“I’m Mabel!” The female Pines twin said. He’s hot Mabel! Go for it!</p><p>“Carter.” The boy said. “John Carter.” He walked out of the pit. “Oh my god.”</p><p>“Ahem.” The ambassador cleared his throat. “Can you come with me please?”</p><p>“Okay?” Carter responded as he was led away.</p><p>“It’s getting stronger.” Stan murmured.</p><p>Ford panicked. “Crawlspace, now!</p><p>Brandt sat in his study waiting as a henchman appeared.</p><p>“Lord Nexus wishes to speak with you.”</p><p>“As he wishes.” Brandt said as he walked into the communications room. “What is thy bidding, my master.”</p><p>“The ones to stop us have returned. Your surveillance work was… sloppy.” Brandt suddenly felt his windpipe getting crushed. “However, your undercover mission to the future was a success. This proves that you’re still useful. So if you want to live, I suggest you find me a portal so my kind can come through and take this dimension. Understood?”</p><p>Ford stood at the control panel of Edmund’s portal. “We can’t risk me running into my parallel self. Dipper, Mabel and Stanley. You know what to do. I will go to the UFO to get the adhesive. I’ve contacted Fiddleford to make the device. Good luck.”</p><p>“So we’re going into the multiverse again?” Stan asked.</p><p>“Yep.” Dipper responded.</p><p>“Can I just – be careful.” Lance asked.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. Come on Mabel.”</p><p>“You got it Dipping-Sauce!” Mabel said as they ran through the gateway.</p><p>Carter sat looking at the tall man who had brought him to this… strange room. He was confused. The apocalypse obviously never happened in this dimension. Bill was unkillable. “The hell are you supposed to be?”</p><p>“My name is merely Ducard, but I speak on behalf of all supernatural beings and people. An ambassador, if you will.” He walked over to the teen. “Name.”</p><p>“Why do I have to tell you that?”</p><p>“We’re just trying to help.”</p><p>Carter sighed. “Fine. Johnathan August Carter.”</p><p>“Date of birth?” Ducard looked at his clipboard.</p><p>“I… I don’t know.” The boy admitted,</p><p>“How do you not know?”</p><p>“That’s not a very useful bit of information when you live in the end of the world, you know.”</p><p>“Can you at least tell me what age you are?”</p><p>“I know I’m thirteen. I think.”</p><p>“Gender… male.” Ducard muttered. “Short brown hair…” He looked back up. “Hazel eyes.” He snapped his fingers. “I’d like you to tell me about the dimension you came from.”</p><p>“Well, it’s been ruled by a god named Bill for about seventy years.”</p><p>Ducard looked up sharply. “Seventy years? In our dimension it happened a year ago.”</p><p>“Wait, you killed him?” Carter asked, obviously shocked.</p><p>“Not me. The family you were greeted by, actually. The Pines.”</p><p>“They killed Bill!? Wow. I am not going back that horror show of a dimension. I am staying here.” To be honest, he’d very much like to get to know them. If they killed Bill they must be incredibly powerful. Like, able to shrug off a nuke strong. He’d never actually seen a nuclear bomb, but he’d heard stories.</p><p>“That’s fine. So… you were born in the apocalypse, correct? Got any parents?”</p><p>“They died when I was nine.”</p><p>“… oh. How did they die? You don’t have to share that if you don’t want to.”</p><p>“They got taken to the chair.”</p><p>“Friends?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Ducard sighed as he sat down. “You want something to eat?”</p><p>“The last time I ate was like, three days ago. And it definitely wasn’t a dead rat. Definitely not.” He watched as his interrogator cringed in disgust.</p><p>“I am going to get you some water,” Ducard said as he walked out of the room. “And a fucking ice cream!”</p><p>Dipper peeked his head above the bush they were hiding behind. “All clear.”</p><p>“So, what’s the plan exactly?” Stan asked.</p><p>“I don’t think he has one.”</p><p>“Of course I have a plan, Mabel!” Dipper snapped.</p><p>“Okay, how much of one?”</p><p>“… twelve percent.”</p><p>“Twelve percent? That’s not a plan, kid! That’s barely an outline!” Stan roared with laughter. “Even I know that!”</p><p>“Right. Mabel, there should be a vent on the roof, if we’re lucky. Grapple up there then send the rope down so we can climb up. Me and Stan will distract all those people so you can do it undetected. You go get the element, you know where it is. Meet us at the town hall.”</p><p>Mabel nodded and ran off.</p><p>“Kid, how’re we gonna distract that crowd?”</p><p>“Come on.” Dipper tugged him out of the bush and walked him to into the middle of the crowd. “Pretend to have a heart attack.”</p><p>“Wait wha – son of a bitch!” He yelled as Dipper kneed him in the crotch.</p><p>“My uncle!” Dipper yelled, faking a southern accent. “I think he’s having a heart attack!”</p><p>“Oh, uh… yeah! Heart attack!” Stan stammered, copying Dipper’s accent. “My old man heart is giving out like a deflating balloon! Oh, the pain! It’s unbearable! Death! Death!”</p><p>“Is anyone of ya’ll a Doctor?”</p><p>The crowd stayed suspiciously silent. Wait, what am I supposed to do know? Dipper thought. I didn’t think this far ahead. Wait, what if I… He discreetly pulled out his gun and shot his uncle with it, making sure it was on stun. He dragged Stan’s unconscious body over to the wall and sat him up. “He’s breathing!” He shouted as an ambulance approached. Three paramedics got out and lifted Stan onto a stretcher. “He’s my uncle and I’m the only family he has. He’s very weak, is it okay if I ride in the back with you? I just want to make sure he’s okay.”</p><p>“Sure, kid.”</p><p>Dipper got in as the vehicle drove away. Dipper looked out of the window. There weren’t many people around. He quickly drew his gun and plugged all three of the paramedics in the chest. “Hey! Something’s happened!” He shouted to the driver. “We need to stop, these guys just died! I think?”</p><p>The driver slammed on the breaks and turned around only to be shot by the teen and dragged the man out of the driver’s seat. Dipper sat down and reached for the pedals. Right, the town hall. Ehhh, this can’t be too different from the golf cart, right? Put it into neutral, check. Clutch? I think? The bite point, then… gas! He jerked back as the car zoomed towards the town hall.</p><p>Stan opened his eyes slowly. “You shot me.” He murmered.</p><p>“While you were out, we sealed the rift.” Dipper responded. “Sorry for that, by the way.”</p><p>Stan got up and looked around. They were still in Edmund’s portal room. “My head hurts.” He moaned as Dipper led him out.</p><p>“Inform Lord Nexus.” Brandt smiled as he watched the two Pines pass him by. “I’ve found it.”</p><p>Carter sat in the interrogation room waiting. The door opened and a short boy with chocolate brown hair walked in. Carter recognised him as the boy at the rift.</p><p>“Hi.” The boy said. “I was told that you wanted to see one of us?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Carter got up. “You defeated Bill!” He knew he’d made a mistake when the boy jerked back and went as white as a sheet.</p><p>“Don’t… don’t you say that name.”</p><p>“Ooh, sorry. Did I hit a nerve there? I’m not that good with… people and the such.”<br/>
“Me neither. I’m Dipper, by the way.</p><p>“So… do have, like god powers and stuff?”</p><p>Dipper looked confused. “Well, other than the robotic hand, I’m just a regular guy. We all are. We outsmarted him.”</p><p>“Well, I don’t much like him either. He can’t come through like I did, can he?”</p><p>“We sealed the rift. Bi-he can’t come through. But you can’t go back. So, sorry about that.”</p><p>“Why would I want to go back? I came from the end of the world, this place is a paradise!”</p><p>“You know, if you wanted to get a grasp of the world you could get a job at the Shack.”</p><p>“The what?”</p><p>“The Mystery Shack. It’s my friend’s tourist trap. I think Soos would love a new worker. Also, I think Mabel likes you.”</p><p>“I can take a guess as to who that is.”</p><p>“If you mean the girl with my face that stared at you like you were as hot as magma, then yes, that’s her.”</p><p>Carter smiled. He’d escaped. Finally.</p><p>“Sorry.” Dipper said. “I don’t think I caught your name.”</p><p>“John Carter.”</p><p>“So, John then?”</p><p>“It’s just Carter.”</p><p>Dipper nodded as he looked at the boy sitting in front of him. He looked like the type of person who was a survivor, like he could shrug off a gunshot wound like it was nothing. He could be useful.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Making Friends and Influencing People</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nexus makes his move.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ducard looked at the room full of people sitting in front of him. “You need to be put in check.” He addressed the members of the Zodiac. He pointed at the screen behind him. “The Gideon – bot cost thousands of dollars in repairs. The image switched again. “The Multi-Bear’s rampage across town killed three people and left four families homeless. Then we have our most recent incident.”</p><p>2 Hours Earlier</p><p>“Right, so you need to put that stuff there,” Soos pointed at the shelf. “And the Mr. Mystery bobble heads go here.”</p><p>“What’s a bobble head?” Carter asked.</p><p>“It’s a little statue of me with a big head that bobbles! A bobble head!”</p><p>“So people actually buy this shit.” The teen muttered.</p><p>“Yeah, I know. You can put anything on these shelfs and they’ll buy it. It’s like, free money!”</p><p>“Listen to Soos, kid.” Stan said as he walked in the room, wearing a new black double-breasted suit.</p><p>“… why?”</p><p>“‘Cos I’m the CEO of this bloody company an’ I’m tellin’ ‘ya to. Also, he’s smarter than he looks.”</p><p>“Thanks Mr. Pines!”</p><p>“I didn’t mean it, ‘ya knucklehead.”</p><p>“Really?” Carter inquired. “Because it sounded like you did.”</p><p>“Shaddup!” Stan barked as he marched away. He wasn’t sure about that new kid. Carter, wasn’t it? He just didn’t seem cut out for the boring life. Then again, neither did Dipper. The kid was a survivor though, and a selfish one at that. He’d already managed to steal $23 from the till and it’d barely been a week. Soos was still having to remind him where the stuff went on the shelves. However, he grew up in Weirdmageddon. Stan shuddered. Throughout the whole thing, he’d been safe in the shack, Ford was unconscious and Mabel was in her dream land. Wendy and Soos had been surviving, but Dipper had had it worse. Not only did he have to survive by himself for three days, he’d been being actively hunted by the monster that scarred him for life. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to live like that your whole life, then suddenly get a taste of normalcy. He could imagine it’d be like waking up from one of those dreams where it just seems perfectly normal and you for get your life outside of it, then boom! You get up and realise that it was just a dream.</p><p>“Get down!” Ford barked as he, Dipper and Mabel ran past the window with a horde of Gremloblins following them.</p><p>“What the bloody hell is that?” Lance shouted. He’d been hanging around the Shack recently to get a grasp on the supernatural.</p><p>“Come on.” Stan announced as he went for the door. “We’re going to help them.” He pointed at Carter. “ You too.”</p><p>“Wait!” The teen shouted. “We need a plan of attack!”</p><p>“I have a plan: attack.”</p><p>“Fuck’s sake.” Carter muttered as he ran out of the door.</p><p>Dipper ran from the horde of gremlin/goblin hybrid monsters chasing him. They had been exploring the caves when they found them. After that, it was just a full half hour of running and he was beginning to tire. Quickly, they ran up the hill to the Northwest mud flaps. </p><p>Ford pulled out his gun and shot at the lock. He pushed the door open and ran inside.</p><p>The factory workers looked at the three Pines in shock.</p><p>“What are we going to do?” Mabel panicked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think there’s anything we can do.” Dipper muttered.</p><p>Suddenly, Ford pulled a grenade out of his pocket. “Ye of little faith!” He announced, before chucking it out the window. An explosion shook the factory walls and a catwalk fell down from the ceiling.</p><p>“You see,” Ducard continued now that the clip was done. “You guys cause trouble wherever you go. And let’s not forget Weirdmageddon.” The screen changed to the news report Shandra Jimeneź had recorded inside the Fearamid.</p><p>Dipper noticed Mabel squirm in her seat. “That’s enough.”</p><p>The screen promptly went black as Mayor Tyler walked into the room clutching a huge stack of papers. He placed it down on the table and Ford looked at the front cover. “The Nevermind All That Accords? What is this?”</p><p>“It states that you, or any member of the zodiac can only act on supernatural occurrences with both the mayor and my own permission. You will become part of an Organisation. You will become Agents of S.P.E.L.L.”</p><p>“And what does that mean?” Robbie asked.</p><p>Ducard sighed. “It stands for the Strategic Paranormal Enforcement Logistics Liaison Division. The S.P.E.L.L. Division.” He looked at the various disapproving stares he was getting. “We really wanted it to be called S.P.E.L.L.”</p><p>“I can tell.” Stan muttered.</p><p>“And what happens if we don’t agree to this?” Wendy inquired.</p><p>“Then I suggest you and you family find someplace else to live, Miss Corduroy.”</p><p>“This is bullshit!” Stan shouted as he got up.</p><p>“Stanley, calm down. He may have a point.”</p><p>“Shut it Sixer!”</p><p>“Let’s not start blowing this out of proportion.”</p><p>“Well, it’s ridiculous Dipper.”</p><p>“He’s not being unreasonable.”</p><p>“You can’t do this! We have no choice but to sign it!”</p><p>“Father can’t afford another house!”</p><p>“The people were just starting to forgive me! I can’t leave ya’ll now!”</p><p>“I’ve lived here my whole life! Get me a pen!”</p><p>“EVERYONE SHADDUP!” Stan’s voice bellowed throughout the room. “You.” He pointed at Ducard. “You slimy, no good son of bitch. If you think that we’re signin’ that document and that we’re just gonna fuck off, then you’ve got another thing coming. They say you’re a supernatural creature. But I’ve not seen you display anything but normal human qualities in the two months you’ve been here.”</p><p>“Mr. Pines… take a minute.”</p><p>“I’ll tell ‘ya what won’t take a minute. Me kicking your behind outta this town!” Stan charged at the man in black.</p><p>“Mr. Pines!” Ducard held his hand out and Stan flew back into the wall. “Stand down at once or you will be escorted off the premises.”</p><p>“Ow. Fine.” Stan muttered as he picked himself up.</p><p>“You have until 12.00pm tomorrow to decide. I hope for the sake of our heroes, that you choose very carefully.”</p><p>Lance sat on a chair waiting for everyone to come out. He’d been told something was wrong, just not what. He looked at the boy sitting next to him. Carter, wasn’t it?</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>Lance looked at him in confusion. “… it’s a phone. You can call people with it and stuff.”</p><p>“Cool.”</p><p>Suddenly, the members of the zodiac walked out of the room, all looking furious.</p><p>“What happened?” Lance asked Dipper as Carter ran up to get the scoop too.</p><p>“They want us to become part of an organisation or leave Gravity Falls. Kinda takes the fun out of it though, doesn’t it?”</p><p>“What’re you going to do?”</p><p>Dipper looked around. “Something’s up with that Ducard guy.”</p><p>“Yeah!” Carter interjected. “When he was talking to me he was all like, ‘Answer this! Answer that!’”</p><p>“That’s pretty normal.”</p><p>“… oh.”</p><p>Fiddleford McGucket was pottering about his mansion doing absolutely nothing. He knew he’d have to sign that document. There were no two ways about it; it was made to be an impossible choice. Ducard was always acting fishy. He wasn’t even that perceptive and he knew that. Suddenly, he was grabbed in a chokehold from behind.</p><p>Ford sat on the Mystery Shack’s front porch thinking. If he is up to something, what could he want? He’s telekinetic too. I’ve never seen anything like that before and he looks perfectly human. Wait, what if he’s not supernatural at all? What if it’s tech? That’s certainly-</p><p>“STANFORD!”</p><p>“Fiddleford?” Ford questioned as his friend walked towards him. He was looking a bit beaten up, like he had just been in a fight. “What happened?”</p><p>“Get everyone over to my place, I’ve got som’tin ‘ta show ‘ya!”</p><p>Dipper pulled the back off of the attacker’s head to reveal a familiar face. A face that immediately got a metal arm smashed into it. Dipper noticed that Brandt also now sported a robotic arm. He chuckled. “Not so funny now, is it?” He questioned.</p><p>“Where am I? Why can’t I get outta here? Let me out!”</p><p>“While you were unconscious, McGucket managed to make tech that emits an electron field. Stops you from teleporting.</p><p>“I’m sorry for costin’ you an arm, kid.” Brandt apologised as he tugged at his restraints.</p><p>“You should be.” Dipper muttered as he pulled out a needle and jammed it into the prisoner’s neck. “This is a sample of malaria, except the effects have been modified so symptoms develop at incredible speeds. By my calculations, you should be dead in ten minutes. I have the antidote right here. But if you don’t give me what I want, then there’s no reason for me to give it to you.” He held the needle in front of Brandt’s quivering face.</p><p>Stan looked on at the scene unfolding from the other side of the two-way mirror. The kid was a natural, he had to admit. He leaned over to Ford. “What did Dipper really give him there?”</p><p>“Not malaria.” He leaned over and whispered something into Stan’s ear.</p><p>“He gave him a cold?”</p><p>“Now is this the man you’re working for?” Dipper held up a photo of Ducard. Brandt nodded, confirming Dipper’s worst fears. “Who is he and what does he want?”</p><p>“His name is Nexus. Ducard is a cover name. He’s part of a species called the Vilnu. Their dimension was destroyed centuries ago and they’re on a conquest to find a new one. He was sent here hundreds of years ago in hope that he’d be able to open the portal and let his fleet through.”</p><p>“And how does he expect to open this portal?”</p><p>“I followed you. He knows about the one in the Crawlspace. And he knows that you know. The accords were just a ploy to tear you apart! I’m just a hired gun, I swear. He’s got other people working for him too!”</p><p>“Give him it.” Dipper heard Ford say through his earpiece. He grabbed the needle and rammed it into Brandt’s neck.</p><p>“By the way, that was a cold.” He walked out of the room with a smirk on his face.</p><p>Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Ford, Wendy, Soos, Lance, Carter and Melody ran up Main Street armed to the teeth. As they turned the corner, they were met with a group of armed henchmen.</p><p>“We’ll hold them off.” Mabel shouted, pulling her grappling hook from her sweater.</p><p>“What?” Ford questioned.</p><p>“Trust us.” Dipper said.</p><p>“We got this.” Both twins announced in unison as they charged.</p><p>Stan nodded. “They can handle it, come on!” He caught the president’s key in mid-air as Dipper threw it to him. Running up to the door, he unlocked it and ran through the the tunnel with the rest of the team. They ran into Edmund’s portal room where they saw Nexus standing there powering it up.</p><p>“Ah!” He said. “How nice of you to join me.” He reached out and everyone slammed against the wall. “You know,” He closed his hand into a fist as the heroes struggled to breathe. “You are the only thing standing in the way of my goal. But why stop me? I just want to give my kind a home. And Earth seems perfect! You guys seem to be the only flaw, but that’s easily – auuuggghhhhhh!” He screamed as a spanner hit him on the side of the head. Everyone fell to the floor coughing.</p><p>“Gotcha.” Wendy smirked as she charged at him. Nexus drew his sword as it clashed with the silver of her axe.</p><p>He smirked as he parried a blow. “You’ve not thought this through, have you? An axe is no good in a fight without a shield.” He dropped to the floor and rolled away. “But a sword works fine on its own.” He brought the blade down on the redhead teen but it was blocked.</p><p>“You talk too much man. Just shut up and fight me like the wimp you are.” They exchanged a few blows, none to great effect.</p><p>“Not doing so well, are we?”</p><p>“You’re really arrogant.” Wendy scoffed as she slammed her axe against the sword and pushed with all her might. “It’s your weakness.”</p><p>“You’re faith in your friends is yours.” Suddenly, Nexus twisted the axe out of Wendy’s hand. The teen hesitated for a moment and looked over at Stan and the others, who were just beginning to recover. The alien warlord used this distraction to stab her in the stomach. He smiled as he pulled his blood covered blade out and kicked her away.</p><p>“WENDY!” Stan shouted in disbelief. “You’re gonna pay for that you son of a bitch.”</p><p>“No, I won’t.” Nexus smiled. “Your niece and nephew though. They will.” He slammed Stan into the wall after taking a moment to see his reaction. Everything was going exactly according to plan.</p><p>Dipper and Mabel ran into the Mystery Shack and slammed the door on the horde of hunters following them. Dipper imputed the code to the vending machine and ran in before anyone but Mabel could follow him.</p><p>“You know,” Mabel sighed. “I’m having a hard time putting a positive spin on this. Nexus has the town in the palm of his hand, he’s going to end the world, that fight was really hard and you can barely walk.”</p><p>Dipper looked at the stick he had been using as a crutch for the past ten minutes. Leave me. He remembered saying after a hunter slammed the blunt end of a spear into his leg incredibly hard, crippling it for the time being. I’ll only slow you down. He sighed. “Not to mention I can’t find my hand anywhere.”</p><p>“Yeah, that too.”</p><p>Suddenly, an explosion ripped the vending machine off it’s hinges. The twins looked out cautiously. McGucket walked into their line of sight.</p><p>“McGucket!” Mabel shouted as she ran over to him. Dipper crutches over somewhat slower.</p><p>“Thanks for saving us.” He said as he looked around the charred gift shop.</p><p>“I’m not done savin’ your family’s butts yet. What you’re gon’re do now will change the natural course o’ ‘yer lives.”</p><p>“Yeah, well,” Mabel started.</p><p>“What else is new.” Dipper finished. “Now let’s get to it.”</p><p>Nexus looked at the portal. It was almost finished powering up. He glanced over at the teen laying on the floor bleeding out, feeling a slight pang of guilt. He brushed it aside. He had more important matters to deal with.</p><p>“Stop right there.” He turned around and saw a girl standing there holding a massive gun. “This,” Mabel shouted as enthusiastically as ever. “Is an EE-17A blaster rifle, designed by my brother. We figure that normal stun bolts wouldn’t work on you and even if they did, you could probably stop them in mid-air. So, we made this!”</p><p>“You dare oppose me?” He walked towards her. “Go on. Do it. The portal will still activate and I will have fulfilled my duties. You can’t stop shit.”</p><p>Mabel raised an eyebrow. “I hate it when the bad guy’s right.” She pulled the trigger and shot it at Nexus, stunning him. He fell to the floor, unconscious.</p><p>“… Mabel…”</p><p>“Are you guys okay?”</p><p>“I think so.” Ford muttered as he got up. “Are you okay? Where’s Dipper?”</p><p>“He’s fine. Come on everybody, we’ve got a bad guy to transport! Also, take Wendy. She’ll be fine.”</p><p>“What happened?” Carter questioned.</p><p>“My head hurts.” Lance complained.</p><p>The Shack crew ran out of the Crawlspace. A huge fleet of alien ships were in the sky and there was a coal black airplane sitting outside. The cargo ramp lowered and Dipper ran out. “Come on.” He commanded. He looked different. His hair was somewhat shorter, especially around the sides and he seemed taller. He rushed them onto the plane as it took off. Ford rushed to the cockpit and looked as the Crawlspace was blown to hell by a missile from a Vilnu ship.</p><p>Dipper jumped into the pilot’s seat and pulled a headset on. He fiddled with a few switches. There was a flash of light, then everything was back to normal.</p><p>“Where are we?” Ford asked. He was confused with this whole situation.</p><p>Dipper looked at him and smiled. “Glass Shard Beach, 1960-something.” Everyone but Mabel looked at him with wide-eyed shock.</p><p>“Kid, is there any other obstacles ‘ya wanna drop on us?” Stan asked.</p><p>“Yes, actually.” Dipper flipped the autopilot switch as he and Mabel led the Mystery Shack crew into a room none of them had seen before. “The Vilnu want to erase us from history. So we need an expert on our families history. And there’s only one person that could fill that position. Unfortunately, he died earlier this year.”</p><p>“Do you mean Shermie?” Ford asked.</p><p>“Yes. Obviously, we couldn’t actually bring him back from the dead,”</p><p>“But this is the next best thing.” Another voice announced. Everyone looked over at the door as Edmund walked in. He pressed a button on the table and the wall opened up, revealing Sherman Pines standing there with his eyes closed and head down.</p><p>“Hey guys.” He said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Rewind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The truth about Dipper and Mabel’s ordeal is revealed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m not done saving your family’s butts yet.” Fiddleford warned as the three of them stood in the Mystery Shack. “What you’re gon’re do now will change the natural course o’ ‘yer lives.”</p><p>“Yeah, well,”</p><p>“What else is new.” Dipper muttered. “So what’s the plan?”</p><p>“Come to the mansion wi’ me. We need ‘ta save the world.”</p><p>“But what about our family?” Mabel asked.</p><p>Suddenly, Dipper gasped and put a hand to his mouth. A tear rolled down his face. “Wendy…”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Dipper reached over and placed his glasses on Mabel’s face, wincing when he put weight on his crippled leg.</p><p>“‘Yer gonna need to get that looked at.”</p><p>“I know.” Mabel handed his glasses back.</p><p>“Wendy’s dead.” She sobbed. “We have to go save everyone else!”</p><p>“The only way to save ‘em is ‘ta come ‘wi me.”</p><p>Dipper bit his lip as he hugged his sister. “Promise me that it’ll work.”</p><p>“It will.”</p><p>Mabel helped Dipper up the stairs to McGucket mansion. He winced with every step he took. As they walked into the mansion, the old scientist handed Dipper an actual crunch and adjusted it for his height.</p><p>“Thanks.” Dipper said with a smile. McGucket led the twins into the mansion’s hangar.</p><p>“Dang…” Mabel murmured as she looked at the huge plane in front of them. They walked into the cargo hold to see a familiar scientist: Edmund Drysdale.</p><p>“That guy?” Dipper questioned. “The hell is he doing here?”</p><p>“I got him outta prison right after we caught the other guy. He’s in the holdin’ cell on the plane actually. He told us ev’ry’ting.”</p><p>“I’m not workin’ with him.”</p><p>“Look,” Edmund reassured them. “I have no reason to hurt you. I’m sorry about what happened last time. I just…” He searched for the right word. “I just wan to make it up to you. And what better way to do that than to save the world, ey?”</p><p>Dipper sighed. “This day just keeps getting better and better.” The cargo ramp shut behind him.</p><p>“Everybody hold on!” He pressed a few buttons and everything went white. When Dipper’s vision returned, he looked out of the window. There was nothing but pitch blackness.</p><p>“Where did you take us?” He asked accusingly.</p><p>“We’re in between dimensions.” Edmund answered. “Time doesn’t work like it does in the real world. When we go back, no time will have passed. You won’t age and injuries won’t heal.” He looked at Dipper’s crutch. “Sadly.”</p><p>“So how do we save the world?” Mabel asked.</p><p>“They’re going to try destroy you and your family with time travel. So, we need to follow them.”</p><p>“Wait,” Dipper was confused. “If they can travel through time, why can’t they just go back and stop their dimension from being destroyed?”</p><p>“The horny fella said that it was ‘cos o’ climate change and global warmin’ an’ shit!” McGucket interjected.</p><p>“Wait, you want us to help you invent time travel?” Dipper realised.</p><p>Edmund smiled. “No, I want to help you invent time travel.”</p><p>“Wait,” Mabel looked at the device in front of her. “You’re going to put us in a mind prison?”</p><p>“We’re going to come with ‘ya!” McGucket said. “This‘ll help us invent time travel!”</p><p>Dipper contemplated the situation for a moment. It wasn’t like he could invent it in real life, he was missing a hand and his other one was currently occupied by a crutch. “We have to. We have to find a way to save Wendy.” He realised that he hadn’t even had a moment to grieve over the death of his friend. She’s not dead yet Dipper. I can fix this. He walked over to one of the beds, rested his crutch against the wall and laid down. Mabel, McGucket and Edmund did the same.</p><p>Dipper opened his eyes slowly and got up. His hand was back and… organic. He hadn’t had any feeling in that hand for about half a year. He didn’t need a crutch any more, but he assumed that both of those changes were only going to be present in the Mindspace.</p><p>“This is a place where our mindscapes are essentially merged into one.” Edmund explained. “All thoughts and memories are easily accessible. And,” Suddenly, a desk appeared in front of him. “Anything you imagine can just pop into existence.”</p><p>“Wow,” Dipper muttered. “This is like, the ultimate science space. Who invented this?”</p><p>“That would be me.” Edmund replied. “How do you think I designed my portal? It took me half as long as it normally would’ve.”</p><p>“Right,” McGucket announced. “We should make a list first.”</p><p>“But lists are boring!”</p><p>“Mabel, they’re useful.” Dipper snapped. “So we’re gonna need time travel, for starters.”</p><p>“An’ maybe a way ‘ta track ‘em through time.”</p><p>“Wait, won’t we need a history expert? In general and with our family.” Mabel questioned.</p><p>Both twins snapped their fingers. “Grandpa Shermie!”</p><p>“But he’s dead.” Dipper concluded. “He was a history teacher for the longest time and was really into looking into our family’s history too. He’d be perfect.”</p><p>“Great.” Edmund sighed. “Now we have to cure death too.” Suddenly, a hole opened up under McGucket’s feet, swallowing him. “What the bloody hell was that?”</p><p>“What is it this time?” Mabel was exasperated.</p><p>“I don’t know, I swear!” The alien scientist managed to get out before he too was swallowed by a hole.</p><p>“Okay,” Dipper said. “I don’t think that was him.” Then everything went black.</p><p>Mabel opened her eyes slowly. She was in room. The one back in Piedmont, not the Mystery Shack’s old, dilapidated attic. She opened the door and walked over to Dipper’s room. It was as messy as ever: there were piles of unwashed clothes everywhere, the blacklight was abandoned on the floor and his bedcovers were wrinklier than Stan’s undershirt on a particularly hot day. Dipper himself was sitting on his chair. Mabel walked over to him when she heard a soft click.</p><p>Dipper stared wide-eyed at the blacklight under his sister’s foot. She had turned it on. Slowly, a figure rose from the light. One of it’s eyes was yellow and slitted and the other was frozen solid. It’s right arm was held on by stitches and the big dipper glowed red on it’s forehead.</p><p>“Fear Dipper.” Mabel muttered. “Fearper.”</p><p>“Run!” Dipper shouted as he pulled Mabel into his closet and slammed the door. Fearper banged on it incessantly.</p><p>“I had no idea it was that bad.” Mabel confessed. “You need therapy. You also need to wash your clothes.”</p><p>“It’s a representational space! It would be a waste of time! Also, of course I bottle it up! That’s what guys do!” Suddenly, a meat cleaver cut through the door.</p><p>“Oh you’re such a guy!” Suddenly, both twins fell backwards into blackness. As they got up, they realised that they were in the Shack’s basement. “Dipper, I need to tell you something.”</p><p>“What now?!” Shouted an exasperated Dipper.</p><p>“I’ve been seeing her. I’ve been seeing who I was in the portal. She’s in my head Dipper! And now we are too!”</p><p>Dipper looked at his sister with a horrified expression on his face. “Great. Now your shadow self is after us too. Is there anything else you want to tell me?!”</p><p>“I think that’s quite enough talking.” Dipper turned around and saw Mabel Gleeful standing in the doorway.</p><p>“Run.” The twins said in unison. They ran into the the elevator. When the doors opened, they were back in Piedmont.</p><p>“What memory is this?” Dipper asked, pulling his hat off his head. Strange, he wasn’t wearing one before. The one he was holding was the dark tan one he had lost all those months ago. Mabel was back in her original shooting star sweater. She’d had to get rid of it after Weirdmageddon, as it was beyond repair. She did knit a new one though.</p><p>“Kids!” Helen shouted. Suddenly, Dipper realised where he was.</p><p>“All our troubles, all our problems. They can all be traced back to this moment.”</p><p>“Kids?” Their mother walked into the room. “I’ve got some news. You know your Great-Uncle Stan? Well, he wanted to get to know you and your father and I thought you could go up to his for the summer.”</p><p>“All summer?” Dipper replied. “But that Gravity Rises place sounds like the most boring place on Earth!”</p><p>“Yeah!”</p><p>“Well, maybe.” Helen conceded. “But you might get to know Stanford. He used to be a scientist, you know.”</p><p>“Why’d he stop?” Mabel asked.</p><p>“He quit after his twin brother died. Oh, I didn’t mention that did I? They were inseparable, just like you two. His name was Stanley and he died in a car accident thirty years ago. Please, just don’t mention it, okay?”</p><p>Dipper bit his lip. “Okay.”</p><p>“Now get to bed.” Helen smiled.</p><p>Mabel looked over at Dipper. She was met with Fearper. That was when everything went black.</p><p>Dipper ran through the Mystery Shack’s basement. He could hear Mabel crying. It was coming from the prison level. As soon as he exited the elevator, he knew he had made a mistake. That was Mabel crying all right, just not the Mabel he wanted to find.</p><p>“So predictable.” The female Gleeful twin smiled. Her amulet glowed and Dipper blacked out.</p><p>Mabel opened her eyes slowly.</p><p>Dipper opened his eyes slowly.</p><p>Mabel looked around. She was hanging upside down in the bunker. “I always liked dissecting frogs in biology.” A warped version of Dipper’s voice snarled.</p><p>Dipper looked around. He was strapped to a chair in Ford’s office. Mabel Gleeful looked at him. “Thanks to this machine,” She gestured at the thought encryptor. “I will mine your mind for any useful information you have left and then destroy it.”</p><p>Fearper pulled out a bone knife and jammed it into Mabel’s chest as she screamed. “Maybe now you’ll know the pain I felt.” He twisted the blade around.</p><p>Mabel Gleeful flipped a switch and Dipper immediately started screaming in agony. Maybe having his thoughts encrypted a second time would completely destroy his brain. “You comfortable? I was comfortable once.”</p><p>“You were miserable.” Dipper choked out between screams. “I saved – auuuuuughhhhh!”</p><p>Mabel screamed as Fearper pulled the knife out of her chest and bent down to her level. He held out her heart. “I knew this would be fun.”</p><p>“That – wasn’t – fun!” Mabel screeched. “I’m not doing this alone.”</p><p>“I’m not doing this alone.” Dipper muttered.</p><p>“I’m not doing this alone.”</p><p>“I’m not doing this alone.”</p><p>“I’m not doing this alone.”</p><p>“My family.” They both said in unison.</p><p>Suddenly, Stan charged at Fearper and knocked him over. He pulled out an axe and chopped the chain holding Mabel. “Go!” He commanded.</p><p>Ford burst into his office and shot a stun bolt at Mabel Gleeful. Quickly, he turned the machine off and unstrapped Dipper. “Get outta here, ‘ya knucklehead!” Dipper ran into the elevator and frantically pressed the button. The doors opened. He was in the bunker. He ran into the closet he had went in with Wendy and shut the door frantically. It had windows now.</p><p>“Mabel?” He sputtered out. “I had no idea.”</p><p>“Well, I have no idea what I did to deserve,” She pointed at Fearper. “THAT HORROR MOVIE! It just cut my heart out with it’s bone knife!”</p><p>“Well, you did stab him. It’s called revenge.”</p><p>“You should just be glad I was the one in the other dimension, because if it was you the place would have looked like night of the living dead, Dipper!”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Dipper sighed. “Look, we need to stop fighting and deal with this.”</p><p>Mabel nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go in 3, 2, 1 and…” They walked out the door ready to fight.</p><p>“…oh.” Dipper said. Their two evil counterparts were sitting on a bench looking one of Mabel’s scrapbooks. This one was blue and had the tent of telepathy symbol on the front. Looked like the two Mabels weren’t too different after all. Suddenly, they were back in the white room that they started in. Edmund and McGucket were standing there, looking equally as confused.</p><p>“I have several questions.” Edmund held up his hands. “What the bloody hell was that?”</p><p>“I never wanna do that again.” McGucket muttered.</p><p>“That was…” Dipper searched for the right word.</p><p>“Painful.” Mabel said.</p><p>Two hours later, Dipper, McGucket and Edmund were crowded around a holotable they had imagined and spitballing ideas off of each other. And by that, I mean they were saying about one idea a minute each that was immediately shot down. Mabel standing by the side, feeling a bit like a third wheel. She was nowhere near as intelligent as anyone else in the room and it was frustrating her. Dipper was the one she was closest to in intelligence level and even then, he was miles ahead of her.</p><p>“We know it’s possible.” Dipper mentioned. “Oh my god.”</p><p>“What?” The two other scientists questioned.</p><p>“We only know time travel is possible because Blendin visited us. He only visited us because we invented time travel. We’re stuck in a time loop.” He pressed a few buttons on the table and möbius strip popped up. “But how do we use that knowledge to create time travel?”</p><p>They stood in the mindscape for months, not stopping to rest for a moment, because they were technically asleep. Bouncing ideas off of each other and making breakthroughs, only to discover that their science was flawed.</p><p>Dipper sat on his imaginary sun lounger thinking. “We’re not getting anywhere with time travel.”</p><p>“Agreed.” Edmund conceded. “We should focus on other things.”</p><p>“What else do ‘wi need?” McGucket asked.</p><p>Dipper started listing. “Someone who knows history and a way to track them through time. And maybe a way to kill Nexus?”</p><p>“I’ll get started on a gun!” McGucket shouted. “Mabel, come help me!”</p><p>Edmund sighed. “So we have to cure death then.”</p><p>“And make me a new hand.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in the alien scientist’s head. “What if we son’s cure death at all? What if we rebuild him as an LMD? That’s much more feasible.”</p><p>“Now we’re talking.” Dipper smiled.</p><p>Mabel thought as hard as she could and an imaginary Nexus appeared in the mindscape. McGucket promptly shot it with the gun.</p><p>“We got it!” He shouted. “We can’t kill ‘im, but we can stun him!”</p><p>“And we,” Dipper pulled back the curtain. “Have got Grandpa Shermie back.”</p><p>“Now we have to get back to the daunting task.” Edmund sighed. He walked over to the table and turned it on. The möbius strip appeared on the table.</p><p>“What does that button do?” Mabel asked as she pressed it. The strip warped and stretched.</p><p>“No!” Dipper shouted. Then he took a look at the hologram. “Shit…”</p><p>“What?” McGucket asked. “Holy hootenanny. Mabel’s done did it!”</p><p>“Now we just need to make a machine that uses this and a stabilisation chamber for your friend!” Edmund shouted with glee.</p><p>“And maybe make Dipper a new hand.” Mabel added.</p><p>“Yes, that too. I reckon I could get your leg to heal faster, if you want.”</p><p>“Thanks. Now let’s get on with it!”</p><p>Dipper opened his eyes and got out of the bed slowly. They’d been in the mindspace for eight months, designing the tech and making groundbreaking discoveries. Ever since Mabel had solved time travel, they had been working on it. Now, they were done: the time machine, the LMD and the stabilisation chamber had all been designed. They had realised that travelling through time released an incredible amount of sonic frequencies and they could use said frequencies to track the Vilnu through time and space. He got up slowly and picked up his crutch. I forgot how annoying that is. He thought. McGucket had all of his blueprints backed up on the plane’s computer, which included the designs for his hand. He hadn’t seen the his Grunkles, Soos or Wendy. Wendy. The name bounced around his head like a really weird football. He missed her. The stabilisation module should be able to save her. But what if it didn’t? He looked over as everyone else began to wake up. “Alright Dipper.” He said to himself. “Get to work.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Heavy Is The Head</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nexus begins his assault on the past.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Current Stans will be addressed as Stan and Ford. Their younger selves will be known as Stanley and Stanford.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stan looked at the LMD of Shermie in shock. “Sherm? It’s been so so long.”</p><p>“Stanford? Kids? Who are all these people?” Shermie responded. “Jesus Dipper, what happened to you?”</p><p>It was just then that everyone seemed to notice the boy’s injury. “Happened when we were fending off the hunters. I’ll be fine soon though. McGucket made me a new hand and Edmund managed to make it heal quicker.”</p><p>“A new hand?” The Pines grandfather responded. “What do you mean?” He looked over to Ford and smiled. They had reintroduced Ford to the family after the Christmas break, but they hadn’t told anyone about the Weirdness.</p><p>“There’s no easy way to say this Grandpa…” Mabel said.</p><p>“You’re an LMD.” Dipper cut to the chase. “A robot duplicate.”</p><p>“No,” Shermie looked around.</p><p>“Can you all leave, please?” Ford asked.</p><p>“No. No. That’s not possible that’s not-” He stopped talking when Dipper pulled his hand off. “What. The bloody hell.”</p><p>Stan looked around. “Maybe we should start front the beginning.” Ford nodded. They told him everything and as they did, Sherman Pines started to get closer and closer to having a heart attack (or, he would be if he wasn’t an LMD).</p><p>Dipper looked down at the stabilisation module with sorrow expression on his face. Wendy’s face was peeking out from behind the glass, her eyes shut. If he didn’t know any better, he’s assume she was dead. He hung his head and sighed. He hadn’t seen her in over a year, but to her it was about twenty minutes. If that. A tear rolled down his face as he pressed his forehead against the glass.</p><p>“I KNEW IT!” Mabel shouted, appearing out of nowhere. “I knew you weren’t over Wendy! I called it!”</p><p>Dipper sighed. “I’m not over Wendy. You’re right. But I’m not just going to waste my time chasing her, okay? I actually like being just friends with her. But I can’t just turn off the way I feel and now she might die, and…” His voice trailed off into sobs as he collapsed onto a chair. “This last year was so hard, with all that chaos in the mindspace and the pressure to discover time travel. I never thought about what would happen after we saved them. I’ve spent that whole time worrying about her, that’s why I worked so hard and…” He stopped talking as his voice descended into incoherent blubbering.</p><p>“She’s gonna be okay.” Mabel smiled. “Stop frowning and look at me! You can’t still be imagining the worst possible outcome!”</p><p>“That’s exactly what I’m imagining during this frown.” Dipper muttered. “And we don’t have the resources to make another LMD! We only had enough for one. Well, we have the materials but we only had one sample of NowUSeeitNowUDontium.”</p><p>“Does it even exist in this dimension?”</p><p>“Probably in Area 51.” Dipper chuckled.</p><p>“Are we going to tell them?”</p><p>“…not yet.”</p><p>They walked into the common room (it was a really big plane) where everyone was pottering around doing anything but being quiet. “Everybody! We are in 1966 New Jersey. The twelfth of August. If anyone could tell me what happens today, that’d be great.”</p><p>“Wait, Ford,” Stan asked. “Wasn’t that the day we found the Jersey Devil?”</p><p>“…  yes, it was. That’s what sparked my interest in the supernatural!” The old scientist replied. “They must be trying to prevent that! Right, Stan and Mabel, you come with me.”</p><p>“What about me?” Dipper inquired.</p><p>“You’re injured and we will most likely see combat.” Ford smiled. “Plus, I need you to spend some time with your grandfather. This is a lot of new information to process at once and I think you could help him with that.”</p><p>“Fine.”</p><p>Mabel walked up to Carter, who was sitting on the couch. “Hey. I was just wondering…” She stammered as her crush looked at her in confusion. “… if you wanted to come with us?”<em> Near death experiences build connections, right?</em></p><p>Carter thought for a moment. “Okay. Could be fun. Maybe you could explain it to me on the way there?”<em> Maybe if I cross my legs, she won’t notice.</em></p><p>“Yeah.” The two walked into the weapons bay, where Stan and Ford were waiting.</p><p>“Mabel,” Ford said. “How have we not been seen by anyone yet? And how are going to get down there?”</p><p>“We have cloaking and another jet that’s detachable from the Argon.”</p><p>“Wait,” Stan laughed. “You named the plane after an element? Ahahahahahah!”</p><p>“It was Dipper’s idea.”</p><p>“Stanley, now is not the time. Come on. Mabel, I’m assuming we’re going to have to kidnap our former selves, yes?”</p><p>Mabel nodded. “We can just erase their memories, it won’t change the future.”</p><p>Sherman Pines sat on a chair in the room he had woken up in that very morning. This was crazy. All of it. Time travel? I mean, come on. Whilst the kids were telling the story of how they discovered it, he’d realised that his brothers hadn’t known about that one either. But the craziest fact was that he was a robot. He wasn’t the real Shermie. He wouldn’t have wanted this. But the Dipper and Mabel said that they needed him, so he needed to be there for him. He was barely aware of Dipper sitting down next to him.</p><p>“Hey.” The brunette smiled at his grandfather.</p><p>“I always thought Stan and Ford were crazy when they came home ranting about the Jersey devil.” Shermie smiled. “Guess not.”</p><p>“They’re actually going to make sure that happens right now, actually.”</p><p>“Yeah, I don’t think I’m ever gonna grasp this time-travel nonsense, you know?”</p><p>“I don’t blame you.” Dipper sighed. “I’m going to go have a chat with our guests.”</p><p>Nexus sat in his prison cell. He was floating in mid-air upside down when Dipper came in. “Hello.” He floated down to the ground. “It’s so nice of you to finally join me. I have to admit, I’m impressed. There’s no way for me to break that window. You solved time travel.” He chuckled. “You have my respect, Dipper Pines.”</p><p>“You see, that’s the thing. I didn’t invent time travel. Mabel did. And there’s one other thing.” He leaned closer to the glass. “How did you know about the Jersey Devil incident?”</p><p>“Now, that question has a very interesting answer, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”</p><p>“I can’t take that as an answer, man.”</p><p>“You see, this is what’s wrong with you so called ‘heroes.’ You have a line you just won’t cross. Even when the world is on the line. That’s what makes us so different. I crossed that line many years ago on my mission to save my people.”</p><p>Dipper chuckled. “You know, you remind me of the stereotypical modern movie villain. Your intentions can be as pure and good as anything. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re killing people to accomplish it.”</p><p>“Yeah, so? I’m going to escape and there’s nothing you can do about it.”</p><p>“If you hurt anyone on this plane, I swear to god.”</p><p>“Oh, it wouldn’t be my place to injure a cripple, would it?” Dipper recoiled. “Or an amputee.”</p><p>“Tell me how you knew.” The male Pines twin said with a venom in his tone.</p><p>“You can keep asking me how I know what I know all you want, but I have to a ride to catch. Later crutches.” Suddenly, a portal opened up in the floor and Nexus dropped through. Dipper’s eyes widened as the floor returned to its normal colour.</p><p>
  <em>It must be some kind of device that lets the floor be phased through by solid objects, or something. What about Brandt?</em>
</p><hr/><p>Stan poked his head around the corner, looking for any signs of trouble. He was standing on the pier with Ford, Mabel and Carter behind him. “All clear.”</p><p>“So, what are we looking for again?” Mabel asked.</p><p>“We need to find us,” Ford answered. “And protect them.”</p><p>“How do we do that?” Carter questioned.</p><p>“We ask around. I’m pretty sure we found it in the caves at the beaches. Let’s go.”</p><p>“Oh,”</p><p>The four turned to see Nexus standing there with his hands behind his back. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, I didn’t harm anyone during my escape. Especially not the amputee/cripple.” Mabel narrowed her eyes. “Does that hurt your feelings? How predictable.”</p><p>“Don’t talk about Dipper like that.” Mabel snarled, a rare hint of rage behind her eyes. Suddenly, the alien overlord levitated off the ground.</p><p>“You can fly?” Stan asked.</p><p>“Levitate, there’s a difference.” Nexus snapped his hand out and the four smashed against the wall. As he hit the ground, Stan grunted in pain.</p><hr/><p>Dipper paced around the common room rubbing his temples. “We had him!” He shouted to nobody in particular (it’s not like there was anyone else in the room). “<em>I</em> had him. And I fucking lost him. This is all my fault. Is I hadn’t – arrggghhhhh!” He screamed and clutched his arm.<em> Goddamn phantom pains. Why are they even a thing?</em> He contemplated. <em>They don’t even make sense.</em></p><p>Suddenly, Lance ran into the room. “Are you okay? I heard screaming.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dipper lied, pretending he wasn’t in agonising pain at this very moment. He hadn’t told anyone about them, they had enough to worry about.</p><p>“Phantom pains?” Lance guessed.</p><p>“How did you know? Ow.” Dipper clutched his arm again.</p><p>“Did I never mention that I wanted to be a doctor?”</p><p>Dipper forced a smile. “Yeah, you did actually. Once.” He took a breath. “It’s gone now.”</p><hr/><p>Carter got up off the floor slowly. Something was definitely broken.</p><p>“Ah, the survivor.” Nexus smiled. “You’re tenacious, I’ll give you that.”</p><p>“You talk too much.” Carter grumbled as picked up a rock beside him and pelted it at Nexus. It hit him right between the eyes. He scowled and slunk off.</p><p>“Good job kid!” Stan shouted as he picked himself up. “Now come on!”</p><p>The four ran onto the beach and peeked around the corner. The sibling brothers were standing facing the younger Stans and mocking them. “Ford, would it be appropriate to punch two kids?”</p><p>“Not unless the world is at stake.” Ford smiled. “And it’s not, so you can’t beat the daylights out of them.”</p><p>“But I can do it if the world is at stake?”</p><p>“Yes. But it’s not.” Ford winked.</p><p>“Hey you two!” Stan bellowed as he jumped out from behind the corner. “Come and get some!”</p><p>“Who is that?” Stanford asked. “He looks like Pa!”</p><p>“Hey buddy!” Stanley addressed his brother. “He has a twin too! Who also looks like Pa! And also has six fingers! What a coincidence!”</p><p>“Wait, Stan. We just discovered a supernatural beast.” The twelve year-old pulled his brother close. “These could be our-” He was cut off when a laser bolt whipped through the air and just barely managed to hit his side. “Ahhh!”</p><p>“Hey!” Stanley looked up as a boy wearing a burgundy leather jacket and raggedy red scarf ran up to them. “My name’s Carter. You two are in danger, so come with me if you want to live.”</p><p>The two Stans nodded.</p><hr/><p>“THIS IS AMAZING!” Stanford screamed in a very high-pitched Jersey accent.</p><p>“Geez Ford, I forgot how strong ‘yer accent used ‘ta be.” Stan noted.</p><p>“I made an effort to get rid of it. I thought it would make me sound smarter.”</p><p>“Well, it worked.”</p><p>Stanley looked over at the girl. She was about his height, with chestnut brown hair that ran down to her shoulders and a fringe. “I like your hair.”</p><p>“I changed it when we were in between dimensions.” Mabel smiled. “How about my sweater?”</p><p>“It’s cool. ‘Never thought I’d see Poindexter in one though.”</p><p>“Yeah, Dipper says me and Grunkle Ford have this ‘weird heatstroke resistance.’ Although, he does wear them in the winter.”</p><p>Stanley was confused. “Who’s Dipper? That’s a weird name.”</p><p>“He’s my brother! Guess twins really do run in the family, huh?”</p><p>“You have a twin too?”</p><p>“Yeah, he’s a real nerd though. He invented time travel!”</p><p>“I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO MEET HIM!” Stanley’s twin shouted.</p><hr/><p>Dipper sat in the pilot’s seat of the Argon, trying not to think about all the times he’d spectacularly failed at saving the day. He had undergone extensive pilot training whilst in the mindspace and he was the only person who actually knew how to fly the plane. It had autopilot, but sometimes he liked to get on the stick to let off some steam.</p><p>“Argon, Argon.” Stan’s voice came over the radio. “Do ‘ya copy?”</p><p>“Loud and clear. Have you secured… yourselves?”</p><p>“Yup. Ford’s been shot though.”</p><p>“Which one? How bad is it?”</p><p>“The younger one.” Stan replied. “It’s just a mild burn, nothin’ ‘ta bend over backwards about. He’s been going crazy over all this time-travel junk. He really wants to meet the guy that invented it.”</p><p>Dipper smiled. “Then he’s already met her, hasn’t he?”</p><p>“Kid, Mabel’s smart and you’re right, she did think of invertin’ that strip or junk. But it was a coincidence. It was you, Edmund and McGucket that did a lot of the heavy liftin’, so don’t go sellin’ ya’self short, ‘ya got that?”</p><p>“Yes sir.” Dipper chuckled.</p><p>Lance stood in the plane’s docking bay, sitting on his phone. He was in 1966. He had travelled through time. Not many people could say that. Smiling, he thought to himself. <em>I’m certainly happy to be one of them.</em> He cut his train of thought off when Dipper walked in, his coat flapping behind him as the plane docked.</p><p>“They’re here.” He said. The ramp lowered and the team walked out.</p><p>“This is so cool…” Stanford jittered.</p><p>Stanley looked at his brother. “‘You high?”</p><p>“No! TIME TRAVEL!” Ford looked at the people standing in the docking bay. One had thick brown hair and glasses and he wore a long black coat and a navy blue sweater with a belt going across his chest. He also had a crutch on his left arm. The other person had short dark brown hair and was just wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans.</p><p>Dipper sighed as he was reminded of how he was when he first met Ford. He was so glad those days were behind him. Stanford ran up to him a grabbed his hand. He shook it violently.</p><p>“HII’MSTANFORDBUTYOUALREADYKNEWTHATANDYOU’REDIPPERTHEGUYTHATINVENTEDTIMETRAVELI’MSOGLADIGOTTOMEETYOUCANIASKYOUACOUPLEBILLIONQUESTIONSABOUTTHESUPERNATURAL!” Dipper pulled his hand away.</p><p>“Sorry, I… I, d-…don’t do h-handshakes.” He stammered. Stanford looked hurt.</p><p>“Is it because of my hands?” Dipper’s eyes widened.</p><p>“No! I-we just don’t do that.” They stood in silence for what felt like an eternity.</p><p>“Well this is awkward.” Lance muttered.</p><p>“OHMYGODYOUHAVEAROBOTHANDTHATISSOCOOL!” Stanford shouted. Dipper smiled sadly.</p><p>“It’s not as great as you think. Come on, we need to get you two out of harms way.</p><p>“Dipper?” Ford asked. “Can we talk for a second?” The brunette walked over to him. “How hasn’t this changed the future?”</p><p>“Because our time travel isn’t as advanced as Blendin’s was. It can only create new timelines, not change the future.”</p><p>“So we’ve created a new timeline where me and Stan got picked up by us?”</p><p>“Yes. The Vilnu haven’t figure out how to change the future either. Our machine is a precursor to Time-Baby’s. Who are they?”</p><p>”We couldn’t just leave sibling brothers to die. So we knocked them out.”</p><p>Suddenly, Edmund ran in the door. “I’ve figured out how he knew about this!”</p><p>“How?” Stan asked.</p><p>“I was sent by him. All my kind were. I don’t work for him or anything, but before he came to Earth he sent me. We monitored the members of the zodiac especially carefully, so he knows everything about you.”</p><p>Dipper sighed. “Have you tracked him to where he’s going next?”</p><p>“Next…” Edmund snapped his fingers. “We going to the Old West.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Tornado In a Trailer Park</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Argon’s sleeping quarters was split into two; one for the guys and one for the girls. The beds were in compartments in the wall, so if you got up too quickly you would bang your head. Stanford lay down on his bunk thinking. He looked at his older self sleeping on the other side of the room. The whole situation was awesome. <em>Still crazy though.</em> He thought.</p><p>“Hey.” Stanford looked up to see Dipper hanging out of his bed upside down.</p><p>“Hey.” He said back.</p><p>“I just want to… elaborate on why I didn’t want to shake your hand. It was nothing personal.”</p><p>“I got told nobody does it.” Stanford muttered. Dipper sighed.</p><p>“You’re not the only person that got called weird in school, you know. I’m a nerd too, for starters. Also,” He lifted up (or down, I guess) his hair to reveal the Big Dipper constellation on his forehead.</p><p>“Did you… paint that on?” Stanford asked, confused.</p><p>“It’s a birthmark. Well, birth defect I guess. It’s just… I made a deal. With the devil.” Ford was intrigued. A deal with the devil? That sounded interesting.</p><p>“His name was Bill Cipher.” Dipper choked the name out. “I made a deal and it eventually led to the end of the world. We stopped it, but I just don’t like to be reminded of it. Possession is shit, let me tell you.”</p><p>“You got possessed? That sounds horrible. Also, that sounds a bit like-”</p><p>“A bit like PTSD? I know. I have the internet, not to mention I got it diagnosed before I left the Falls for the first time.”</p><p>“The inter-what now?”</p><p>“Ohhh, you have a lot of catching up to do.” Dipper smiled. “I’m going on a mission in the morning, so I suggest asking Lance.”</p><p>“Who’s that?”</p><p>“The other guy that was with me when you arrived. English.”</p><p>“Ah!”</p><hr/><p>Dipper sat next to the stabilisation module tapping the glass. “And then the floor opened up and he just fell through!” He said to Wendy in the vague chance she could hear him. “Like some kind of molecular deconstruction device!”</p><p>“Geez kid.” Stan scoffed as he walked into the room. “I thought I’d gotten used ‘ta science mumbo jumbo after spendin’ so long on the boat with Ford, but I guess not.” Dipper smiled sadly. “I miss ‘er too, kid. But she’d want us ‘ta get on with it. Got that?” Dipper nodded and stood up. “See ‘yer back on your feet.”</p><p>“Yeah, it’s a tad weak, but overall I’m fine now.”</p><p>“Then ‘ya can come this time.”</p><hr/><p>The Argon touched down on the western soil with a satisfying ‘thunk!’ It was invisible to the naked eye, but when the cargo door opened up you could see inside of it, kind of breaking the effect. Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Ford and Shermie walked out dressed from head to toe in overly elaborate western outfits. The person they were looking for was called Jack Daniels, who was currently in prison. They needed to find someone to help get him out before Nexus killed him.</p><p>“So where do we start?” Shermie asked.</p><p>“Well, I learned in the multiverse that if you want to find a lowlife,” Ford smiled. “You start at the saloon.”</p><p>The five walked into the bar and looked around. It was filthy, there was spilled beer on the floor and most of the windows were smashed. Most of the patrons were hobbling about trying not to collapse due to sheer drunkenness and were arm wrestling each other to see who was strongest. The bar had hundreds of bottles lined up behind it like sheep in a pen and there were puddles of drink on the bar top. The place was sufficiently fucked, with cowboys sauced beyond belief and yelling at the top of their lungs. It smelt to high heaven, like a bin bag that had been sitting on the front porch for months being opened and the smell rushing into whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end’s face faster than a teenager who’d just got his driving licence driving during rush hour. Mabel pinched her nose. “Sweet sally.” She muttered.</p><p>“We should split up.” Stan suggested. “Find someone quicker.”</p><p>“Stanley, where are you going?” Ford asked.</p><p>“For a pint, obviously. We need ‘ta keep up the illusion.” Stan smirked as he walked away. The barkeep smiled at him.</p><p>“What d’ya want?”</p><p>“Whisky.”</p><p>“Alright,” The barkeep pulled up a bottle. “Name’s Alex.”</p><p>“Stan. Stan Pines.”</p><p>Dipper looked around the saloon and walked over to a booth. Sitting down, he took in the appearance of the man in front of him. His face was obscured by a newspaper, but he wore a fedora and a brown vest. The man flipped the corner of the paper down.</p><p>“What d’you wan’?” The man had a strong southern accent.</p><p>“I need your help on a job. Interested?”</p><p>“It depends.” Dipper tilted his head as if to say ‘on what?’ “On what the job is. And ‘ow big ‘yer… pocketbook is.”</p><p>“It’s pretty big.” Dipper leaned I closer. “My name is Dipper Pines.”</p><p>“Django McCree.” The cowboy smiled as he placed the paper down on the table.</p><p>“I have a relative by the name of Jack Daniels. You heard of him?”</p><p>“Met ‘im once. I was pissed though, so don’t go askin’ ‘round ‘bout details. Heard ‘e’s a jailbird n – you want ‘ta break him out, doncha?” Dipper smiled.</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“I’m listening.” Django smiled.</p><p>“I have a crew, but I need someone who knows this town. Specifically, where Daniels is being held.”</p><p>“How much does it pay?”</p><p>“You’ll be set for life.”</p><p>“Hey! Fuck off!” Shermie (who had joined Stan at the bar) yelled at the guy standing next to him, who had spilled his drink.</p><p>“Sir,” Alex said. “You’re being very aggressive. You need to leave.”</p><p>“Fine.” Shermie walked to the the door.</p><p>“Well,” Alex smiled. “Now that’s over with.”</p><p>“As my brother once said,” Shermie reached for the lock on the door. “Trust…” He twisted it shut. “No one.” He pushed the latch shut as five bar patrons got up and started walking towards him. The four other Pines turned to look. “Do you know what that means?” He picked up a cane with a curved handle from next to the door.</p><p><em>This is gonna be good.</em> Stan thought.<em> S’gonna be like at my bar mitzvah. He beat the cramp outta those guys!</em> The five cowboys looked at each other in confusion.</p><p>“Then let me teach you a lesson.” Shermie hooked the cane around a glass of beer sitting on the table next to the door and launched it at the middle guy’s head. It sailed right over his shoulder (unlike at Stan’s bar mitzvah) and over to the back wall. Django caught it and took a sip. Stan looked over at Ford and Mabel worriedly. “Are we going to stand around here all day?” Shermie asked as he walked towards the group. “Or are we going to f-” He was cut off by catching a left hook to the face, which sent him crashing into the bar top. Gathering his bearings, he picked up the cane and jabbed a man wearing a cow-skin vest in the stomach with it. He whipped around and smacked a guy with a Hitler moustache in the leg, before the cane was grabbed off of him by the man with the fedora. Fedora rapped him over the head and shoved him back into the bar, knocking over a fair few drinks. However, just as the finishing blow was about to be dealt a rope wrapped around Shermie’s waist and pulled him away. He fell to the floor as Django reeled his lasso back in.</p><p>Stan and Ford ran over to pick their brother up and sat him at the booth Dipper had been sitting in as Mabel walked over.</p><p>“Trust no one.” Django smiled. “Lemme’ translate that for ‘ya.” As Moustache drew a knife and rushed at him with it, Django wrapped the rope around his wrist and wrestled the knife into his hands, then jabbed him in the shoulder with it. He kicked Moustache over and ran at Cow-Skin, kneeing him in the crotch and smashing a glass he had picked up from the bar over his head.</p><p>Shermie grunted as he switched seating positions. “What’s wrong with me Dipper?” He asked.</p><p>“Well,” Stammered Dipper. “We rebuilt your whole body. It took me a while to get used to just and hand but it’s a learning process. You’ll be back to normal soon.” He patted him on the shoulder.</p><p>Fedora rushed at Django with a meat cleaver, which the cowboy quickly pulled out of his clammy hands and thrust it into his calf. The last man (who was wearing a red bandana) picked up a chair and chucked it through the air in a surprising feat of strength. Django ducked and thrust his lasso at it, wrapping the rope around it’s leg. He swung it into Bandana’s chest and knocked him out of one of the few intact windows. Walking over to the chair, he untied his lasso and put it back where it belonged. Everyone in the bar looked at him in complete and utter shock for a moment, before returning to playful shite-talk and drinking more enough alcohol to make even Ford hammered (he already had a high tolerance before he went into the portal, chugging down alien beers for thirty years straight had just skyrocketed it to the stratosphere). Django pulled up a chair and sat next to the five Pines.</p><p>“I’m Mabel!” Mabel greeted him. “This is my brother Dipper, but you’ve already met him, Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Ford and Grandpa Shermie!”</p><p>“Django McCree.” He looked at Dipper. “<em>This</em> is you crew?”</p><p>“Look hotshot.” Stan snapped. “Thanks for savin’ Sherm’s ass back there, but we need your help. Do’ya know where Daniels is?”</p><p>“Yes I do.” Django smiled as he took a sip of his whiskey. “I’ve been told I could be set for life if ‘a do this job. But I can’t just take ya’ll’s word for it. I’m gonna need some insurance.” Mabel pulled a gold bar that she was hiding under her sweater out and slid it to the cowboy. Having literal gold was a benefit to being friends with a millionaire. “Now we’re talkin’.” Django pocketed the gold. “‘E’s in Blackgate prison. That good enough for ‘ya?”</p><p>“Can you help us?” Dipper asked, matter of factly.</p><p>“Yeah. I can do any’hing. We could go in shootin’, but ya’ll don’t look like the type ‘o fellars’ that’d kill.” Dipper squirmed in his seat. “Or not. I reckon we sneak in. Now, listen to me very closely.”</p><hr/><p>Jack Daniels sat in his prison cell with his head down contemplating things. He’d been done in for petty theft and ever since then his, his life had gone down the toilet. He looked around the cell. It was a stone brick room with a dark metal door and wooden benches on one wall. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and a short girl walked in.</p><p>“Hi Jack!” She walked towards him. “My name’s Mabel. Pretend you know us, or else. Got it?” The two walked out to see the five others. “Come on!” Mabel shouted. The team walked out, past guards knocked out and lying on the floor.</p><p>Stan walked behind everyone else when Django whipped around and drew two revolvers from his waist. “Whoa!” Stan said. “Easy there.”</p><p>“What’s going on?” Dipper asked.</p><p>“Give me the pay. I figured ‘ya were trying ‘ta fool me ‘alfway through the job. ‘Gis it.”</p><p>“We don’t have it.” Ford admitted sheepishly.</p><p>“Then we’re gonna have ourselves a happy lil’ accident.” He grabbed Shermie and pointed the gun at his head. The cowboy smiled as he pulled the trigger. Shermie jolted upright, then felt at the side of his head and pulled the bullet out. Django looked confused for a second, before Dipper quickly pulled his laser gun out and stunned him.</p><p>“Come on!” He shouted.</p><hr/><p>The five of them ran into the Argon dragging Daniels behind them. “Come on!” Mabel shouted. As they ran into the cargo hold, the door began to close. Stan, Ford, Shermie and Mabel stayed with Daniels as Dipper ran to the cockpit and pulled his headset on. He flicked a few switches and smashed a button on the console. The engine began to power up. Outside, the engines rotated towards the ground and the plane gently rose into the air. On the radar, a blip appeared.</p><p>“Shit.” He muttered. He pulled the microphone closer to his mouth. “This is your captain speaking, we’ve got the mothership behind us and the time drive still needs to finish charging up, so prepare for some turbulence.” He jerked the stick forward as a bolt of energy raced past the wing. Carter ran into the cockpit. “Do you want to shoot some guys?” Dipper asked.</p><p>“I’m offended that you had to ask.”</p><p>As he ran out, Dipper glanced at the screen. The time drive was at 70%. He pulled the stick to the left and the Argon did a barrel roll to avoid a laser blast.</p><p>75%.</p><p>80%.</p><p>85%.</p><p>90%.</p><p>95%. “Come on, come on…” Dipper muttered,</p><p>100%. “Yes!” He shouted as he reached up and yanked on the lever. His sight went white for a minute, then they were back. They were in the present. He reached down and clicked the button for the intercom. “We’re back.”</p><hr/><p>Stanford paced around the Mystery Shack’s basement thinking to himself. He had just discovered a bloody dragon, traveled to the past, then the future, then met an actual cowboy. This was the best day of his life. “Isn’t this amazing!?” He shouted.</p><p>“It’s serviceable.” Stanley muttered.</p><p>“Por favor manténla baja.” Abuelita shushed as she walked into the room carrying a tray of food.</p><p>“Oh, sorry… Abuelita.” Stanford stammered.</p><hr/><p>Dipper sat on the couch biting the nails on his left hand. Ford walked in.</p><p>“I know when we’re going now.”</p><p>“Really? Where?”</p><p>“Come on, I’ll show you.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Ascension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nexus’ master plan is finally revealed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dipper ran into the Argon’s lab and looked at McGucket. “Where are they going?”</p><p>The older scientist looked up at him. “He’s travelled to the present. The other timeline’s one though. To a…” He tapped a button the iPad he was holding. “To a military facility in California.”</p><p>“We need to stop him, whatever he’s trying to get. I’ll prepare for takeoff.”</p><p>Five guards stood in the entrance to the military facility, clad in camouflage gear. Suddenly, Brandt teleported in holding a lead pipe. He smacked one guys across the head with it, then teleported over to another one so that the pipe pierced his chest. Once it was done, the door they were guarding burst off it’s hinges. Nexus walked in with his hands behind his back. He looked at his henchman.</p><p>“Find it.”</p><hr/><p>The mood on the Argon was silent. They all knew that this was the endgame. The autopilot was on. Ford sat in silence. Mabel tapped her foot. Stan picked his nose. Dipper sat in the cargo hold with skydiving gear on. He was in all black and straps from his parachute ran across his chest. His coat was stuffed into his bag, as well as his gun and a knife. Suddenly, he heard a low moaning. Dipper dashed over to the stabilisation unit and looked through the glass. Wendy had opened her eyes and was looking around in confusion. Quickly, he pulled it open and Wendy sat up.</p><p>“What happened?” She asked. “Where am I?”</p><p>“No time to explain. We have to stop Nexus from stealing an atomic bomb.” Ford said matter-of-factly.</p><p>“We invented time travel!” Mabel shouted.</p><p>“Whoa.” She looked around as Dipper handed her her axe.</p><p>“Get ready.”</p><hr/><p>Mabel, Dipper, Stan and Wendy walked through the military compound with their weapons in hand.</p><p>“Grunkle Stan, where do you think it is?” Dipper questioned.</p><p>“We find a map.”</p><hr/><p>Nexus looked at the panel that Brandt was fiddling with. “Is it done yet?” He asked.</p><p>“Just a minute.”</p><p>“Hey there, asshole.”</p><p>Nexus turned around to see the Pines standing there.</p><p>Stan continued, “We can’t let you have that.”</p><p>Nexus snapped his hand out and the team flew back. “Come on.”</p><hr/><p>“That’s odd.” McGucket muttered.</p><p>Ford looked over his shoulder and said, “What?”</p><p>“He’s went to the Cretaceous era.”</p><p>“Why would be want to go there?”</p><p>“Maybe he’s gonna wipe out us…” McGucket’s face darkened.</p><p>“By wiping out humanity… by preventing the extinction of the Dinosaurs!”</p><hr/><p>Nexus watched as the bomb was modified. It wasn’t powerful enough to take out that meteor but he was going to change that.</p><p>“Sir,” Brandt walked up to him. “We’re here, should we begin the launch preparations?”</p><p>“Yes.” Nexus turned to his henchman. “And get the troops ready. They’ll follow us.”</p><hr/><p>The Argon was travelling through a wormhole when Dipper approached Wendy. “We’re here.”</p><p>“Let’s do this then.” The teen smiled.</p><hr/><p>Nexus walked back into the bomb room and sighed heavily.</p><p>It.</p><p>Was.</p><p>Fucking.</p><p>Gone.</p><hr/><p>Dipper ran to the corridor. Ford and Stan were wheeling the warhead through the Argon’s hallway when Nexus appeared. Dipper kicked the warhead and it wheeled across the corridor, then turned to the alien warlord.</p><p>Carter looked at the bomb. He was around the corner. Nexus was distracted. He grabbed at the bomb and wheeled it away, up the ramp to the other jet. He sat at the controls and pressed a few buttons on the autopilot. As the ramp closed, Nexus walked on board. Carter grabbed a screwdriver and jammed it into the manual controls just as the plane blasted up to the flagship.</p><p>“No!” Nexus shouted as he smashed carter’s head against the control panel and pulled him out of the seat. Tapping at the controls, nothing happened. He couldn’t even disable the autopilot. He looked back at Carter.</p><p>“Sorry,” The boy smiled smugly. “It’s just the job.”</p><p>“Carter?” Mabel’s voice came from over the radio.</p><p>“I’m sorry Mabel.” Carter muttered.</p><p>“Get back down here!”</p><p>“I have to do this. I’ve done nothing but throw people under the bus my whole life. I need to do something right.”</p><p>“But you don’t understand!” Mabel wailed. “I like you!”</p><p>“I like you too.”</p><p>“No, I <em>like like</em> you.”</p><p>Carter smiled. “I <em>like like</em> you too.”</p><p>“Then this isn’t right!”</p><p>“I don’t know, dying to save the girl I like, redeeming myself and saving the world in the process? Sounds pretty right to me.”</p><p>“You don’t have to do this. It should be me.”</p><p>“Maybe, but do I look like I give a shit?”</p><p>“I can’t see you doofus.” Mabel chuckled.</p><p>“You’re a doofus.”</p><p>No response came.</p><p>“Mabel?” Carter leaned closer. “Mabel?”</p><p>Dipper watched his sister crying next to the radio and placed a hand on her shoulder as the plane got closer and closer to the flagship.</p><p>“He shouldn’t pay for my mistakes…” Mabel whimpered.</p><p>Dipper said, “He’s not,”</p><p>Nexus watched as the plane closed in on his beautiful flagship. “I only wanted to help them.”</p><p>“But you can’t kill people to accomplish that.” Carter said with conviction.</p><p>Dipper smiled sadly. “He’s paying for all our mistakes.” The cockpit was obscured by a blinding white light, before the wreckage of the flagship smashed to the ground. Dipper ran to the cockpit and clicked the button that read ‘Present.’ The Argon jumped out of the past just in time as the meteor hit the ground.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In the first three chapters the italics and stuff got deleted because I didn’t think about the formatting getting deleted. I fixed it for chapter 4 and onwards.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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